Five from SPA Named Presidential Management Fellows

Four students and an alumna of the School of Public Affairs have been named Presidential Management Fellows.

The finalists are Saidah Bennett, Richard Driscoll and Josie Mace, all candidates for master’s degrees in public policy; Christina Caryl, a candidate for a master’s degree in public administration; and Hina Gir, an undergraduate alumna of SPA and an office coordinator in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology.

The program offers finalists two-year, salaried leadership positions in a range of federal agencies, as well as additional training and development opportunities.

Finalists for the Presidential Management Fellows program are awarded a year of fast-track hiring eligibility for fellowship positions at federal agencies. All of American University’s finalists from last year, who did not withdraw due to a comparable outside job offer, currently hold positions as fellows at federal agencies.

SPA students participating in the program received advice and coaching from American University alumni fellows and Career Center staff after undergoing a rigorous evaluation process.

“We provide intensive coaching during all three phases of the selection process,” said Robert SanGeorge, a graduate career advisor for the School of Public Affairs and the university’s lead advisor of Presidential Management Fellows.

President Neil Kerwin and Ann Kerwin will honor this year’s finalists at their annual reception on Thursday, May 1.